


See You On Monday! (Don't Forget)

by oralvanitas



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22930309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oralvanitas/pseuds/oralvanitas
Summary: Mark, 21, has lived a completely normal life for as far as he can remember: no weird encounters, no especially thrilling adventures, no dramatic relationships, no backstabbing friends; just a plain, simple life. Or at least, that's what he thinks.Reality is, Mark is so much more than your average young adult. He may not know it himself, but every single monday, Mark gets to chat with his best friend for a couple hours. Said best friend goes by plenty of names, the most known one being Death, but his personal favorite being "Donghyuck". Now, this by itself is peculiar enough; after all, not many get to be the Grim Reaper's closest buddy. However, there's one more detail that should be mentioned: Mark can never remember his encounters with Donghyuck. Every monday, he meets him for the very first time. And every monday, he forgets him in the span of a few seconds.Now, years have passed since the first time Donghyuck and Mark have met. Of course, Mark has no idea; but Donghyuck remembers everything, down to every single word spoken by his best -and only- friend. And, he's getting tired of being forgotten. So... What to do?Surely, break all the rules of the Afterworld.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue - And Death Knocked At The Front Door

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Please note that this AU is inspired by a prompt that i found on writing.prompts.re on instagram! I got the idea from them and then built the story around it, so keep that in mind and consider checking out their account!

"I said I'm coming!"

Mark throws the brush on the bed, checking his hair one last time before sprinting down the stairs. 

It is not that often that people visit him, except maybe for the times Jeno and Jisung need a place to hide instead of going to school; and it is surely not that often that unexpected visitors decide to start ringing his doorbell for 3 minutes straight. 

The boy stomps his feet on the ground as he marches to the front door, trying to make as much noise as possible, just to let it be clear that he is not happy with whoever this visitor might be's manners.

"Fine! I'm here! Just stop ringing the goddam... huh?"

"Mark!!"

Before he can even try to finish his sentence, a tall, intimidating figure covered by a black robe steps inside his apartment, engulfing him in what feels like the tightest hug he has ever received. 

"Excuse me?" He tries to shake the ominous stranger off, with little to no result. Their grip is far too strong, almost inhumanly so. 

"How have you been? How was your week? I've missed you! You will not believe what happened the other day with Jaemin!" Finally, the visitor lets him go, only to grab his shoulders right after.

And that is when Mark gets to finally see their face; or better, the lack thereof.

Under the thick, black hood, the only thing Mark can see is some sort of shiny white mask - at least, that's what he hopes to be a mask- resembling a skull. 

"Uh... Who are you? How do you know me?"

The creature stalls for a second, before letting out what seems to be a nervous laughter while scratching its neck.

"Oh right, right. Sorry, I got too excited. I forgot that you can't remember me. Uhm... Well, I'm your best friend!"

"Ah?" Upon hearing those words, Mark can't help but cock his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows. "No you're not? Please get out of my house."

The hooded figure grunts, folding its arms in front of its chest. "I'm telling you! We're buddies! Besties! Stop being a smartass and believe me! We've gone through this so many times I'm surprised you still can't recall."

"I would never befriend someone that says besties."

"Alright. You know what Mark? That hurt. Really not cool of you. Not one bit. I'm starting to rethink coming here." 

Truth be told, Mark should be scared. And if not that, he should at least be pissed. In the process of calling the police, even. But he's none of those things. The reason why he still hasn't closed his door right in the face of this odd stranger is that something deep down is telling him this... this being, for lack of a better word, is not a stranger.

Of course, he has no memory of them. He has absolutely no idea who they are, and he is most sure that they have never met prior to this moment. However, he just can't ignore the fact that despite this weirdo's attitude, he feels strangely calm. Almost as if he's used to their behavior. 

And even if that wasn't the case, even if his guts were to be blatantly lying to him, he can't deny the fact that the sudden exchange is a lot more entertaining than the drama he was watching up until 10 minutes ago. 

So maybe, it really isn't that bad.

"Sure, whatever you say. Now please leave me alone. Also, why are you wearing a mask? If you're trying to scam me at least try to be less suspicious."

"Huh? What mask...?"

"The skull mask?"

"Oh! It's not a mask."

"Oh, alright.... Wait. Not a mask?"

The figure nods briefly, before finally pulling back the hood, revealing a perfectly smooth, pearl white skull. "It's my face, dummy!"

And that, that's the moment Mark's instincts kick in. Screw his guts and screw how entertaining the stranger might be. This is far too much for him to handle. 

Without a second thought, he turns around, ready to sprint towards the back door.

That is, until the visitor grabs him from the neck of his hoodie.

"Oh come on! Running away? You hurt me more and more today."

"Let me go! Creep! Pervert! Criminal! You're weird! Let go!"

The skeleton lifts him from the ground, forcing him to stop trying to run away. "Now don't you think you're being a bit too harsh? Fine, I'll admit it. I should've followed the usual routine. Sorry for scaring you. Mea culpa, you know?"

"Help!"

Mark hears a chuckle behind him, before being suddenly released. 

"Okay, please don't run away. Turn around. I've changed form. This is your favorite one, isn't it? I also quite like it."

Reluctant, Mark slowly glances behind his back, ready to find the skeleton looming over him. But instead, all that he sees is a boy around his age, hair ruffled and eyes sparkly, wearing a leather jacket looking far too intimidating compared to his overall cute appearance.

And the familiar, gut feeling comes crashing back.

"I don't..."

The boy flashes him a smile, holding out his free hand, while the other one is busy holding a black scythe. "Sorry for creeping you out just now, but I thought you would finally recognize me. Guess hoping can only take you so far, huh?"

Mark stares at the hand stretched in front of him, unable to move. "Who...?"

Without hesitation, the strangers closes the distance between them, squeezing Mark's hand into his own. 

"Hello, I'm Death, but you know me as Donghyuck. I visit you every Monday and force you to forget me before I leave. You know, just so I don't get into any trouble with the higher-ups. And we're best friends. So... can I come in now, Mark?"


	2. A Cup Of Coffee (Can You Drink It?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Since this is the first actual chapter, I would like to point out just a couple things before you start reading:  
> 1\. English is not my first language! I believe I'm.. alright at it, but if you find any mistakes please do let me know  
> 2\. Chapters are gonna be pretty short (kinda like this one), it makes it less tiring for me to write them and it gives me the opportunity to update more often, so I hope it's okay  
> 3\. Comments make my day, and I would really like to know what you think so far, so again if some people happen to read this AU, don't hesitate to let me know!  
> That's all, now back to the first chapter

"Uhm... So... yeah..."

Donghyuck begins to fidget with his scythe, his eyes scanning the living room he's seen far too many times before as Mark's begin to burn holes into his forehead.

Oh, if only Death himself wasn't unable to effectively die, Donghyuck would be willing to bet that Mark's stare could easily do the trick. 

Sure, maybe he shouldn't have tried that new approach, but everyone makes mistakes, right? Can't the Grim Reaper have a best friend pass?

Apparently not.

Usually, Mark would only stay suspicious for around 15 minutes (Donghyuck even tried timing him once) before giving in to his pleads, often along the lines of "just chill with me for a bit! Come on!"

But this time, they were already 26 minutes in and Mark wasn't showing any signs of letting his guard down. Sure, he did look relieved after Death changed his shape into that of the boy he had come to unknowingly trust, but that had only lasted for a few seconds. And it was starting to make Donghyuck uncomfortable.

He just wanted to spend a fun afternoon with his closest friend, they only had one day each week, so why couldn't he do that? Was he asking for too much? He had been thinking this for a while, but the whole "he must forget" ordeal was starting to seriously drive him insane, and that was the exact opposite of a fun afternoon.

"Listen Mark... Er..."

"How"

Donghyuck's head snaps back towards the voice, eyes wide. Did Mark really just talk to him? Or was it just his imagination? "What do you mean?"

"How can I trust you? Do you realize how... weird this whole thing is, right?"

Finally, the Grim Reaper jumps out of his seat, eyes sparkly, stretching his body over the tiny coffee table, trying to get a bit closer to Mark. "At last! The question! Ah... I was so worried I would have to give up on today's meeting, but I see we're back on track! So, to answer you... wait... hold on... I had the perfect reply written on a note somewhere... Uhm..."

"How can you have it already written down?" Mark furrows his brows, getting more confused by the second, before grabbing a piece of paper sticking out of Donghyuck's pocket. "Is it this one?"

"Yeah! Thank you! And I told you already, didn't I? We're best friends. We've met so many times, you have no idea. Actually, you're the one that told me to write this down. When was it...? Like a year ago or something...?"

"A year?!" Mark almost yells, and this time, he's the one getting up from his seat. "I've known you for a whole year and I have no recollection of it whatsoever? Now you're really pushing it."

Still sprawled over the table, Donghyuck looks up at his friend, eyes resembling those of a puppy. "I'm not lying! We've known each other for five years now. Please don't get mad at me... Here, let me read you this, okay? You're the one that told me what to write so don't be angry!" Death clears his throat, carefully unfolding the tiny note. "Hello Mark, I know this is really weird, but you have to trust him. If the scythe and the ugly skull weren't good enough proof, just ask him a bunch of questions about the Afterworld. He gets scary accurate and excited when he talks about it. If you're still suspicious, ask him to change his shape a few times, and you'll see that it is not a trick. As much as I hate to admit it, he really is your best friend. And most importantly, trust your guts, okay? There's a reason you feel like this."

As soon as he's done reading, Mark snatches the piece of paper away from his hands, going over it once more. "Did I really tell you to write this?"

Donghyuck nods almost too fast, so much so that if he wasn't immortal, his neck would probably snap. "Yes! I don't really know what the last line means, I don't have guts so it's pretty unclear, and you always say no when I ask you to tell me..."

"This is crazy." Mark lets out a nervous, almost exhausted chuckle as he flops back down onto the sofa. "Death is my best friend...? Who would have thought. Not me, that's for sure. Death..."

Feeling like he's finally gotten a grip on him, Donghyuck dares to inch a bit closer, now sitting on the ground next to the older's leg. "So, do you believe me or..."

Mark hesitates, but words just slip out of his mouth as his eyes fall on the boy looking up to him. "Yeah, I guess. That did sound like me. In the note, I mean."

And all of a sudden, Death's face breaks into a huge smile, one that contrary to what most would imagine makes Mark feel like he's looking at the sun itself. "That's such a relief! I really thought you would lock me out of the house once and for all." Without thinking, he engulfs Mark into another bone-crushing hug, blatantly ignoring his painful grunts. 

"Okay, fine, fine, now let me go. You're a lot stronger than what you look like, you know?"

"I do! You always say it."

"Of course I do." Mark sighs, a tiny smile lingering on his lips. 

Yeah, this Donghyuck guy is weird. Maybe too weird. He claims to be the Grim Reaper, yet he acts so childish, to the point of it being unsettling. Not only that, he had the nerve to come ringing at his doorbell fully covered by some dark, ominous cloak just to then transform into the -possibly- prettiest boy Mark had ever seen. He bothered him, made him run down the stairs, scared him, threatened his life with extremely powerful hugs multiple times and, on top of that, he dropped the "we've known each other for 5 years" bomb on him as if it was nothing serious. 

Surely, he should be screaming at him to get out. But he just can't. Now it's more than a mere gut feeling - this guy... no, this entity, holds a place close to his heart in a way that he struggles to understand. 

It's almost painful. He feels so strongly towards this creature, yet he has no memory of them ever spending time together. Perhaps... Perhaps, if he lets him stay over for a couple of hours, he could clear out some of his doubts... right?

"Alright Donghyuck, since we've established I'm not just gonna throw you out... How about some coffee? Can Death even drink coffee...? Well, I'm making it anyways."

# ***

"He was so nice! So nice, I tell you! He's always the best!"

Death sighs happily, snuggling itself into its own cloak of darkness.

"You talking about that Mark boy again?" One of the three Harpies says, looking down on Death from the top of a dead tree branch.

"Of course it's that boy again."

"Listen... Not to be the party pooper of the situation, but isn't this getting too risky?"

"Risky? What do you mean?"

The Harpy looks away, in the direction of the stairs that led to the human world. "I'm just saying... The higher-ups are going to find out soon. I can feel it."

"So what? I'm Death. I literally rule over this place. Can't they just let me be? Come on! I only want to spend some time with my best friend!"

"That's quite sad." The first Harpy says, chuckling under its breath.

"You try and say that again, Renjun! I'm gonna get you thrown into oblivion!"

"Annoying..." Renjun scoffs, before taking off. The Grim Reaper was always talking about that boy. Either him, or humans in general. Over and over and over again. It had come to the point where Death had started giving human names to all its underlings. It was getting tiring, but most importantly, it was getting dangerous.

At this point, everyone knew about him. And in the Afterworld, that wasn't a good thing.

"Hey! Wait for me!" The second Harpy, Chenle, takes off as well, leaving Jaemin and Donghyuck by themselves.

After a brief moment of silence, Jaemin speaks quietly. "Just be careful. I don't feel too good about this. It's not going to end well."

Death closes its eyes, head resting on fallen leaves. "You think so...?"

The Harpy is about to nod, when suddenly, something makes it stop abruptly. "Boss."

"Huh?"

"They're coming. They're almost here."

"Who?"

"The higher ups."


	3. Secret Lovers And Teary Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the annoying notes but! I saw some people are reading this and I just wanted to say how happy that makes me! I hope you'll enjoy the story as the plot develops further!

The Higher Ups.

Theoretically, they run the Afterworld.

Except, not quite.

See, Death does not have a "Boss". It is its own being; it can rule over numerous other creatures, but there's no entity that can compare to its value. However, Death isn't as incontestable as one might think it is. The Scythe is what makes Death, "Death". 

And it is the Scythe that chooses its owner. So, according to one of the first basic rules of the Afterworld, the current Grim Reaper could be replaced at any given time - it all depends on whether a successor has been spotted or not.

Taking this into consideration, one can't exactly say that Death does not require any kind of supervision; it does, and it is extremely important. And that's what the Higher Ups are for.

They're responsible for making sure the Grim Reaper is doing its job properly, and most importantly, for being ready to replace it as soon as possible. Which is the reason why most creatures see them as something to be feared, something that can control even Death itself.

Of course, Donghyuck does not agree.

Donghyuck has always been doing as he pleases, and he has been holding the spot of Death for centuries on end, with no one daring to question its methods. 

Sure, the Higher Ups aren't all that crazy about him - they've been calling him reckless and "just a brat" for as long as he can remember, but that has never stopped him from being the best at what he does.

That's why even now, sitting right in front of all of them while they look down on him, he's not afraid.

"Death."

"That would be me."

"Do you know why you've been summoned?"

The Grim Reaper shakes its head, bony fingers busy trying to smooth out the folds of its robe. "I do not. If you could please enlighten me..."

The oldest member of the council, the one Death has recently started to enjoy calling "Taeil", is about to speak, when the one sitting next to him jumps in. "You've been slacking and you know it. Stop acting clueless."

"Ugh, what do you mean slacking? I told you, I've just been feeling a little under the weather. Can you really blame me? How many centuries has it been? I've always worked hard, I think it's about time I take it easy for a little!"

"Death is not allowed to take it easy." Doyoung glares at him, brows furrowed and arms crossed over his chest. He's never liked Donghyuck, and it shows. 

"Oh come on... Recently it's been hard. I'm gonna get over it soon, alright? Jeez." And even though that's not the complete truth, it also isn't a mere lie. After all, Donghyuck truly has been feeling under the weather; but the real reason cannot be told. 

Ever since he met Mark, he started seeing humans as more than just objects to collect; more than just blank souls. And maybe yes, that's why he feels so reluctant to end their lives. He loves humans, as much as he loves Mark. He can no longer stand the thought of destroying all that's been done by them, for all he can think of is the day it will be Mark's turn. 

He can't look in the face of the dead without feeling guilt, without feeling like he's betraying his best friend. 

But that, neither Mark nor the Higher Ups can know. Not yet.

Also, Donghyuck is not lying when he says "recently". It might not show, but five years aren't a long time in the Afterworld. Something along the lines of calling in sick from work for a couple of days. Or at least, that's what he has come to understand after spending so much time in the world of the living.

The problem is, he won't get over it soon. He knows he won't. And that is so, so incredibly troubling.

"That's what we have always hoped for. But you've been making a fool out of us for long enough, don't you think?"

Death's head snaps up, something deep down starting to twist after hearing those words. "Huh?"

Jaehyun looks down on him for a few seconds, almost as if trying to decide on how to better phrase what's next. "Earlier we couldn't find you. You had work to do, didn't you?"

"Yeah...? But I told you I wouldn't be able to make it, so-"

"So we sent someone to do it for you, yes. But, oh my. It appears the substitute we sent happened to see you. And when they told us where you had disappeared to, we almost couldn't believe it."

Now.

Now is when the Grim Reaper's body begins to stiffen.

Now is the moment Donghyuck realizes, something's wrong.

"What is that supposed to mean."

"We had our doubts. We aren't as naive as you paint us to be. And yet... We didn't expect confirmation to come so soon."

"I don't understand..." 

"Death. You've been getting closer with a living human, haven't you?"

# ***

Mark bites his lip, as he begins washing two cups.

Two?

He doesn't remember anyone coming over that day. Nor the day before that. 

Did he use both himself? When did he even make coffee?

The boy sighs, scratching his head, cursing under his breath after some of the soap gets in his eye.

That's not the first time it's happened. For quite some time now, every Monday he has been spotting tiny, almost irrelevant details being out of place. Details so minor they could easily go unnoticed; except they don't.

It's weird, really, and for some reason, Mark cannot find an explanation to any of these little misplacements.

Does he have some kind of problem? Is his memory playing tricks on him?

"Dude, are you okay? You've been staring at the sink for like, ten minutes now."

Mark shakes his head, focusing back on reality. "Jeno, come here for a second."

"What's up?" Jeno arrives from behind, a can of soda in one hand and a snack stolen from Mark's fridge in the other. He never asked him to come over, but he's gotten used to the younger coming in and out of the apartment as he pleases. 

"Did I make you coffee?"

"No? Why?" 

Mark grunts in frustration, almost throwing the sponge on the counter. "I don't get it! I really don't. Where do these two cups come from? Who used them? I know I did because my breath smells like coffee but... What about the other? Huh? Hey, are you trying to pull a prank on me or something?"

Jeno scoffs, finishing his drink in one gulp. "What kinda lame-ass prank would that be? I'm telling you, it wasn't me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Seriously, is everything okay? You're acting weird and it's not even the first time."

Feeling defeated, Mark just motions Jeno to let it go. 

It doesn't make any sense. Something's not right, he can feel it. But... what is it?

"Yeah, it's just... Ugh, it sounds so dumb, but every few Mondays I find some of my things in places I don't remember putting them, or even chairs being moved to different rooms, and like... I didn't do it, you know? I'm sure I didn't. But then... Who..."

There's a brief moment of silence, almost too heavy for Mark to feel comfortable.

Jeno is looking down on the ground, seemingly focused, fingers stroking his chin, humming quietly every few seconds.

Then, his eyes grow wide, as if he has finally reached a conclusion. "Ah! I know!"

"Really?"

He nods, solemn. "Yeah. Must be old age."

"Seriously. Fuck off."

Jeno laughs, ignoring his friend's glare as he picks up his backpack from the kitchen table. "Come on! I'm sure it's nothing. Don't worry about it, okay? It's just a dumb cup." He says, starting to walk towards the front door.

"Whatever. I don't even know why I asked you of all people." 

"You're no fun. Anyways, I'm going to pick up Jisung from school. See you tomorrow for movie night!"

Mark doesn't reply, instead, he just hurries him to get out. He doesn't exactly know why, but he's feeling exhausted. Thinking about it now, what did he even do that morning?

He's about to get lost in another train of thoughts, when Jeno's head pops back in from the door. "Right, almost forgot. There's some weird note on your couch. I tried reading it but I couldn't really decipher the writing. Do you have a secret lover or something?"

"Ah?"

"Crap, I really have to go. You'll tell me all about it tomorrow! Bye for real now!"

After making sure Jeno's out of sight, Mark glances at the couch; and sure enough, there he finds a small, crumpled up note.

He doesn't recall ever putting it there. He doesn't recall anyone giving him a note to begin with.

But one thing's for sure.

As soon as his fingertips come in contact with the paper, something deep down inside of his body begins to feel like it's burning.

And what's even more strange, his vision gets blurry; his eyes, teary.

"Who... are you?"


	4. The Face Of Joy And Sorrow

Death opens its eyes slowly, head filled with thoughts and throat dry.

After the meeting with the higher-ups, it felt like something had been taken out of its already empty chest.

He had spent the rest of the week crying, hidden by his dark cloak and away from all other creatures, for an ultimatum had been given. 

Of course, no one knew that. No one knew how devastated Death was truly feeling. 

"Death, our decision is final. Either you stop meeting that human, or we will have to find someone else to replace you. The choice is yours. I hope you won't disappoint us."

"Fine! Fine, I get it. I really do, okay? Just give me one more day. I'll say goodbye and then I'll never meet him again. I promise I won't."

"...Sure. Do as you must."

The words of the higher-ups still swirling in its mind, the Grim Reaper sits quietly on top of a tree branch, gaze lingering on the house of the only person that could make everything better.

It's Monday.

Once again, it's Monday. 

Donghyuck sighs as he gets up, shape gradually changing into that of the boy so eager to meet his best friend.

He doesn't want to say goodbye. He doesn't want to feel sad. He doesn't want to let go of Mark, not now, not ever. He wants to feel giddy and he wants to be unable to hide his smile thinking about all the fun he's gonna have in the next few hours. 

The day that normally brings him nothing but happiness and always tastes like coffee, now it only scares him. And he hates that.

Steps heavy, he reaches the front door. But unlike every other Monday, as soon as he rings the bell Mark's figure appears in front of him, eyes wide and hair messy. 

"Woah... You really came!" The boy says, voice saturated with surprise and curiosity.

"Excuse me...?" Donghyuck stares right back at him, brows furrowed in confusion. Why isn't Mark suspicious? Why isn't he threatening to close the door in his face? Why isn't he asking for an explanation? Just... Why does it look like he was waiting for him? The Grim Reaper falters just for a second. Despite his efforts to stay rational, hope begins filling his chest; and that's never a good thing. "Do... Do you know who I am?"

Mark bites his bottom lip before looking him up and down. "That's weird tho... I don't see them... But it must be you..." 

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you... the scythe and ugly skull guy?"

"Huh?!"

# ***

# 

"I wasn't sure at first, but there was something weird about the note. I mean, my friends couldn't read it all, yet it was pretty easy for me, so that was already strange enough. I've been waiting for you to show up to ask for an explanation."

Donghyuck's hands are shaking slightly as he takes a sip of his coffee. 

He had forgotten it. He had forgotten the damn note in Mark's apartment. That was such a newbie move, how could he make such a mistake? What was he even thinking? God! No wonder the higher-ups didn't trust him in the slightest.

"Wait, but why did you let me in so easily? I've never seen you give up your guard this quickly. Who says you can trust me? I...I mean, you can! But..."

Mark chuckles, finding the boy's awkwardness almost endearing. When he read what was written on that piece of paper, he didn't expect his alleged best friend to be so cute. "Because the note mentioned something about trusting my guts. That's what sold me."

"Uhm... I think I'm gonna need you to elaborate a bit more on that one."

The older scratches his neck, looking out of the window. "Well... When I touched it, I almost started crying. Which I rarely do so it was really unsettling. It felt like someone was crushing my chest, you know? And then, when I opened the door and saw you, that feeling came back. I can't really explain it but I just... I just trust you." He closes his eyes, cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Normally, he would never say anything like that. It's not often that he lets his emotion spill out. But this boy... He just can't lie to him. 

"Mark..."

"I don't understand why but for the rest of the week it felt like I was missing someone. But now you showed up and it suddenly stopped. So...I guess what I'm trying to say is that... I missed... _you_." Mark clenches his jaw, unable to even look at Donghyuck. It was so embarrassing, yet he couldn't stop himself from finishing that sentence. "A-Anyway yeah. That's it. That's why. Uhm, I hope I didn't weird you out. Ah, if you finished your coffee I'll just-"

"Mark." 

Finally, Mark turns his head towards his best friend, ears burning. But, the feeling of discomfort goes away as soon as he sees the other's face. "Hey, is everything okay? Are you... Are you crying?"

Donghyuck can't reply. He knows that as soon as he opens his mouth, he won't be able to hold back his tears any longer. Silently, he moves his hand towards his chest, squeezing the fabric right on top of the place his heart should be; that is, if only he had one. 

But then again, if he truly is heartless, why is he hurting so much right now?

Mark missed him.

Mark missed him.

Mark missed him.

Mark missed _him._

He remembered him. For the first time ever, Mark didn't forget who he is. He didn't forget and he missed him. And it's so painful.

It's so painful, yet Donghyuck has never felt such joy before. He has lived for centuries, but it's in this moment that he realizes what euphoria truly feels like. 

"You..." Donghyuck's lips tremble as the grip on his chest tightens. "You missed me, Mark?"

"I did, but are you alright? Did I say something wrong?" Mark quickly gets up from the couch, hurrying to the younger's side. Unsure of what to do, he simply kneels in front of him, eyes filled with worry. Is it okay to touch him? Is it okay to be this close to him? Why did he react like that? Did Mark scare him? For some reason, the mere thought of having hurt him in any way makes Mark's ache inside. "Talk to me, what's going on?"

Donghyuck's head hanging low, making it impossible for the other to clearly see his expressions, his shoulders begin to shake. 

"Seriously, you gotta tell me what's up, I'm-"

"I'm okay." Death's voice sounds like a whisper. So much so that Mark almost doesn't hear it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." At last, Donghyuck straightens his back, now allowing the other to look at him.

And what he sees leaves him breathless. 

Tears streaming down his cheek, Donghyuck is sporting the most beautiful smile he has ever seen in his whole life. And it looks so sorrowful yet so pure and honest, Mark wishes he could admire it forever.

"I'm just so happy. I'm so happy." The Grim Reaper lets his fingertips inch closer to Mark's hand, grazing it slightly. 

"Thank you for missing me, Mark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the past couple of sad chapters, but I promise that soon the story is gonna take off, so don't worry! Please please please let me know what you think! ^^


End file.
